Time control switch



ALMA

A g- 1953 E. c. WILLIAMS TIME CONTROL SWITCH Filed Sept. 29, 1951 INVEN TOR k EARL E. WILLIAMS 1477271? NEY ?atented Aug. 4, 195

TIME CONTROL SWITCH Earl C. Williams, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to Easy Washing Machine Corporation, Syracuse,

N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application September 29, 1951, Serial No. 248,931

4 Claims.

This invention relates to sequential time control switches, and more particularly to one affording selection of operating cycles adapted for automatic washing machines.

In clock or motor driven timers employing multiple cams for actuating, for example, switches for carrying out a cycle of operations, provision for varying the cycle of operations has been made by permitting the cams to be manually advanced so as to eliminate a part of the cycle. In this manner, by manual actuation during the cycle, a different cycle is obtained. Such manual shifting of the cams is instantaneous in character, and during the shift, actually rotates the cams and actuates the various switches momentarily, which would have norm-ally been actuated slowly by the timer motor.

The present invention is directed to providing a timer in which a choice of different cycles of operation may be made at the outset, and in which either cycle may be shortened through manual advance at any stage of either cycle selected. The invention is also directed to a safety circuit breaking feature, which opens all circuits during the instant of manual advance, so that during the manual advancing operation, the cam actuated switches are ineffective to momentarily actuate circuits not desired, and which in effect are being eliminated by the manual advance.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear fully hereinafter from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understood that the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein acters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the timer with parts shown in section;

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a broken section taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a section taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a timer comprising a housing or frame H), mounted on like reference charprovision as will be hereinafter a base-supported bracket H. The timer comprises a plurality of disk cams l2 and cam-actuated followers [4 with contacts l5, the cams being mounted rigidly upon a shaft l6 driven by a timer motor I8 through a suitable gear train. The timer motor l8 and gear train 20 provide a slow motion. or step by step motion, and drives the shaft I 5 through pinion 22 and gear 24. The timer motor and gear train may be of the type disclosed in the patents to Hall Nos. 2,313,064 and 2,227,133. The gear train, as is well understood in the art, includes an overrunning clutch or ratchet, whereby the cam shaft it may be rotated in advance of the timer motor drive by manual means.

As shown in Figure 1, the cams are arranged in pairs, each adjacent pair of cams being provided with a single cam follower, there being described, for moving the cam shaft axially to bring one or the other set of alternate cams into operative engagement with the cam followers. With such an arrangement, it is possible to select two different cycles or sequences of operations to be controlled by the two different sets of cams. In the automatic control of laundry appliances, such as washing machines and the like, it is desirable not only to provide different cycles of operation, but also to provide for shortening the cycle by manually advancing the cams to omit or shorten a particular stage of the cycle.

When advancing the cycle, it is desirable that the circuits opened or closed by the cams, as well as the circuit to the timer motor, be de-energiZed while the advance is taking place. For this purpose, the cam shaft I6 is coupled to the manual control knob 26 through a resiliently biased lost motion device 28. The knob 26 is keyed as at 30 to the shaft 32, the key comprising a resilient L-shaped wire, the radial portion 3| passing through a hole 33 in the shaft and engaging a slot 35 in the knob collar 37. The horizontal portion is arched and lies in a groove 39 in the shaft, the arc resiliently gripping the bore of the collar 31. Such shaft extends into a collar 34 and is keyed as at 35 thereto, the key comprising a transverse pin 4| positioned in an endwise diametral slot 43 in the collar. A split ring and washer 45 and 47, respectively, hold the pin within the slot. The elongated collar extends over the end of the shaft I6, and as shown in Figure 4, is provided with a transverse slot 38 in which is loosely positioned a pin 40 extending diametrically through the shaft IS. The slot 38 and pin 40 afford a range of lost motion be- 3 tween the shaft 32 and collar 34, and the shaft l6. Secured to the shaft is a collar 42, the collar 42 and the collar 34 being composed of insulating material. Each of the collars carries a shallow flanged disk 44 and 46 rigidly mounted therein, the flanges 48 and 50 being slightly spaced from one another but extending toward each other to form a housing for a pair of contacts 52.and 54,. one of the contacts being carried by the disk 44 and the other by the disk 46.

The flanges 48 and 59 serve as collecting rings Ed -Dd and are engaged by stationary brushes supported on a non-conducting member 66 secured to the timer bracket 1 E. i t

42 are provided with coaxial facing recesses B2 and 5A in through the coils of which the shaft iii extends. Such coil spring has substantially"radially extending end portions 65 and and 12 in the facing ends of the collars 34 and 42, such slots extending radially, from the recesses 62am}. as; The coil spring 65 is adaptedto torsionally twist the other, so as to resiliently cause the contacts 52 and 5 to bear against one another. At thesame time, the coil spring is sufficiently light so, that as f the shaft 32 is turned by the knob 26, the contacts 52 and 54 separatebefore the friction of the followers i l on the cams l21will permit the shaft M5 to rotate. After relative rotation of the collars sufficient to open the contacts 52 and 5-1 is had, the pin 40 will tak up the slack of slot and thereafter cause the cam shaft H3 to be directly i turned bythe knob 26 it being understood that so long as any turning torque in the advance direction is applied to the knob 25, the contacts 52 and 5d are'held open. As soon as such torque is discontinued, the contacts close.

Shifting from one set of alternate earns to the other is had by axially moving througha thrust sleeve and cam inec.,. anism l4 "actuated by the concentric knob ES. Such knob is-splined on a sleeve l8 surrounding shaft 32 and f passingthrough the frame bearing collar l'he sleeve is providedwith a spiral cam track 82 co acting with a follower end of a set screw 34, so

that as the sleeve 18 is rotated, it is caused to e move axially; The shaft 32 is provided with thrust washers ilfiand S3 at either end of the sleeve i3, so that the axial movement of the sleeve 18 axially moves the shaft 32; however, without rotating the shaft.- movement of the shaft 32 is transmitted to the shaft 38, so as to shift oneset ofalternate cams out from under the cam followers l land place the other set in operative 1' position with respect to the cam followers. Pinion ll? 22 is elongated to permit axial movement of i T shaft I E without disengagement. A U-spring 98 .mounted onstationary mounting pins 32 and 9% i on-the end member on the frame til is adapted to resilientlyembrace one or the other of the shaftgrooves 86 in the shaft i8, the ends of the w .U -spring being. resiliently spreadable as the shaft I5 is axially mo ed to permit the spring ends to shift fromone of the grooves 95 to the other.

-'1.The spacing between such grooves is thesame as the spacing between adjacent cams of a pair.

,Since the .cams have lobes Q8. and depressed portions i853 which actuate the cam followers, it

i is desirable that each of the disk camshave a 1; circularportion, so that the cams of .each pair of .cams will present angularly aligned circularpor- .tions of, like diameter so that before. one, cam is v shifted out from under its follower, the other cam 3 can be shifted under the follower, the follower b ing of a width to bridgethe spacing between adja- The collars 34. and

which is positioned a torsion spring 85 68 en aging in slots ,4

collars with respect to each the shaft 32 4 ami os cent cams of a pair during shifting. In order to prevent the shaft 16 from being axially moved except when such circular portions of like diameter of the cams of each pair are in engagement with 5 the cam followers, a cam-like interlock comprising a shaft-carried disk H12 and stationary button [04 mounted on the frame end 95 are proyidecl; Thercam-like disk;.has -a-;circular portion 105 of a-radius suificient to prevent the shaft 10 from being moved past the butt-on I34, and is provided with a portion I08 of lesser radius sufficient to clear the button IM. The angularly aligned circular portions of like diameter of the cams of each pair are so angularly coordinated l5; with, respect tothe other pairs and the reduced radius portion. 1.08 of the interlock disk I02 so as to, prevent axial shifting of the cam shaft except when all of the cam followers are riding on one of the circular portions adjacent to a circular portion of like diameter of the adjacent cam of thespair hxial shifting of, the Cams; \vi11 thus normallyhtakeplace when all cainifollowers are held in theirintermediateopencircuit positions as illustrated in. Figure 6,, although it .willalso appear that if thecams of one.or more-pairs have angularly aligneddepressed or. raisedportions of l like diameter, in angular, alignmentflwith. the aligned like diameter portions of thecams of each of the other pairs of cams, axia1shiftingmay 0 also be permitted, the interlockcain may be o constructed. to pc nitshifting under uch. circumstances if desired. ,Thainterlocl; 'will be so designed as to prevent shifting wheneverafinger is in contactwith one cam of pair at a point having a-certain radius, andthe adjacent. portion of the other. cam of the pair is of a different radius.

. From the foregoing description, it willappear that a cycletimer is provided affording more than one-automatic cycle, .and in which alteration of each cycle, may be effected manually as desired. At the sametime; when such manual advance is effected, all circuits whichwould normally be established by thecarnsduring the period elimiated by manual'advance, are opened for thebrief moment such cams are being advanced; Assuranc that no false ,energization of any circuit not required is therebyrhad, by merely placing con- I tacts 52 and 54 in circuit withthe source of'power.

Although a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, itis to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may be made without departingfrom the spirit of the invention, as'will be apparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In an appliance timer, aframe,--a cam shaft rotatably and slidably-mountedtherein, aplurality of disk cams mounted on said shaft and arranged in pairs, the cams of each pair being uniformly spaced, cam-engagingfingersmounted on said. frame, said fingers having a cam-engaging 0 face of a width sufficient to bridge the spacing between cams .ofia:1: air ,:one-fon each pair of cams and adapted :to. engage :either cam; a thnermotor for driyingzsaid shaft-, resilient means forholding said shaft in-either one of twoiaxialpositions spaced. approximately the same as the/spacing between earns ofa pair said cams haying'arcuatep ortionsnangularly,aligned,,-\vith,-respectto one another with the said camportions of eachpair of like radiushand interlock means..carr-ied by 7.? S d..- haft,and, frame rcrnreventineaxialimove ment of the shaft when said arcuate portions are out of contact with said fingers.

2. In an appliance timer, a frame, cam shaft means rotata bly and slidably mounted therein, a plurality of disk cams mounted on said shaft means arranged in pairs, the cams of each pair being uniformly spaced, cam-engaging fingers mounted on said frame, said fingers having a cam-engaging face of a width sufiicient to bridge the spacing between cams of a pair, one for each pair of cams and adapted to engage either cam, a timer motor for driving said shaft means, resilient means for holding said shaft means in either one of two axial positions spaced approximately the same as the spacing between cams of a pair, said cams having arcuate portions angularly aligned with respect to one another with the said cam portions of each pair of like radius, interlock means carried by said shaft means and frame for preventing axial movement of the shaft means when said arcuate portions are out of contact with said fingers, a thrust sleeve rotatably mounted on said shaft means, and camming means coacting between said sleeve and frame, whereby on rotation of said sleeve, said shaft is moved axially.

3. In an appliance timer, a frame, cam shaft means rotatably and slidably mounted therein, a plurality of disk cams mounted on said shaft means arranged in pairs, the cams of each pair being uniformly spaced, cam-engaging fingers mounted on said frame, said fingers having a camengaging face of a width sufficient to bridge the spacing between cams of a pair, one for each pair of cams and adapted to engage either cam, a timer motor for driving said shaft means, resilient means for holding said shaft means in either one of two axial positions spaced approximately the same as the spacing between cams of a pair, said cams having arcuate portions angularly aligned with respect to one another with the said cam portions of each pair of like radius, and interlock means carried by said shaft means and frame for preventing axial movement of the shaft means when said arcuate portions are out of contact with said fingers, said means comprising a cam-supporting shaft, and a manual control shaft, and a resiliently biased lost motion connection therebetween, contacts carried by said shafts and held closed by said resiliently biased lost motion con nection, whereby rotation of said manual control shaft against the resilient bias of said connection opens said contacts.

4. In an appliance timer, a frame, cam shaft means rotatably mounted therein, a plurality of disk cams mounted on said shaft, cam-engaging fingers mounted on said frame, a timer motor for driving said shaft, said shaft means comprising a cam-supporting shaft and a manual control shaft, and a resiliently biased lost motion connection therebetween, contacts carried by said shafts and held closed by said resiliently biased lost motion connection, whereby rotation of said manual control shaft against the bias of said connection opens said contacts.

EARL C. WILLIAMS.

N 0 references cited. 

